Identity is an incredibly complex word to define. As I see it, identity is the reflection of the beliefs, practices, characteristics, and expressions that make up a person. Although identity is often supposed to define one’s individuality, a lot of identity is influenced by how we believe others perceive us. I found the idea of self-presentation in the text to be really interesting. Our self-presentation is how we show others who we are, so by performing or presenting our identity, we are creating the image of how we want to be perceived. This self-presentation isn’t necessarily fake, though it starts to get more complex when it comes to our presence on social media. Because social media is often permanent and leaves more room for error than personal interactions, many feel the need to present themselves as “perfect” all the time. This creates inconsistencies in identity as people feel pressure to change the way they present themselves in order to fit cultural norms and unrealistic expectations. Although identity is always subject to change whether online or in-person, it is our responsibility to stay true to ourselves.
4 thoughts on “Identity- Chloe Whelan”
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I like you said that it is our responsibility to stay true to ourselves. We use media to show different sides of ourselves, and as you mention it isn’t necessarily fake and is just parts of ourselves. Although social media leaves room for error, it will be hard to make up once you make mistakes. The internet has a memory that can stay forever, so it is important for us to keep real.
Identity is what defines us as part of society. It is a collection of all our experiences, morals, values and beliefs. It can also be what we choose to express to the world. Expression of identity to the outside world relates to how we view ourselves. Social media is used for identity expression in today’s world but caution is a big concern since the internet keeps data forever and people can choose to save whatever you post. it therefore creates a responsibility for us to filter what kind of identity we show on social media. this further creates an ideology of what is socially acceptable. Although social media is viewed as a platform of free expression, People can be forced to manipulate their identities because social media does not account for all forms of identity.
There is also a relationship between media users and how they affect each others identity for example a person in a specific friend group will portray a certain kind of identity not because he or she relates to it but just for the reason of fitting in. This could cause identity conflict as the person tries to be something that they are not. It is therefore a key point to stay true to ourselves to avoid identity crisis.
Another form of relationship could be between a media/ content creator who has the ability to influence a mass number of people due to his celebrity status. people tend to replicate what their idols do and this will affect the fans’ identity. on the other side, a content creator can also be forced to manipulate his or her identity just to fit the fans’ expectations.
I think identity as a whole can be looked at by two lenses. First there is our inner identity and then their is our public identity. Our private identity for the most part seems to be overlooked in comparison to how we choose to present ourselves. In our modern society, social media and presentation are rule a large chunk of our attention. I agree with your idea how an identity crisis may soon arise if we limit our inner identity. It is extremely important to teach youth, especially girls, to understand the importance and truth behind online representation because for the most part, it is not a true representation of reality.
Given the multiply mediated nature of identity, is it possible there’s not a “true” self, only a true collection of self-identities? I wonder if our inherent belief in a Platonic ideal reflects our reality.